


a shot at the night

by huntressed



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Karaoke, London, The Killers - Freeform, Victoire-centric, quarter life crisis, victoire is a killers fanatic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-02 15:11:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11511951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huntressed/pseuds/huntressed
Summary: It was mediocrity at its finest. A form of ritualism wherein she wakes up every morning, ties her hair up and ensures that she looks presentable enough, she goes to work and answers calls and finishes up schedules for her boss. It was a never-ending cycle of Victoire succumbing to her definition of the “norms”. (basically, Victoire is going through a quarter life crisis)





	1. first

**Author's Note:**

> this was an idea that came to me right in the middle of the goddamn night, and seeing as i'm too lazy to type the entire thing in one story, i was thinking i could separate it into two parts. this is the first time i've done such a thing LOL. anyways, the title is taken from the killers' a shot by the night. go give it a listen, the killers is absolutely amazing. you will not regret.

**SOMETIMES, VICTOIRE WOULD WONDER** exactly how her life turned out to be like this. She was a talented witch, one who could almost rival her Aunt Hermione’s skills, and almost everyone who knew her wanted her to try her hand at the field of expertise they were in. Back in her prime days at Hogwarts, she was a Prefect, a Seeker in their House team, and she was a Head Girl, but it was really her outstanding grades that had everyone pressed since day one.

           People would claim that Victoire was a perfect human being, practically flawless as she traipsed through life at Hogwarts freely with a huge grin on her face while dragging a bulk of her achievements with her.

           Little did they know that the carefree, sunshine, Victoire Weasley would end up living a dull life sometime in the near future. With all the things she knew how to do, she never really know what she _wanted_ to do for the rest of her life.

           Maybe that was how she ended up getting thrown into being the secretary of one of the lawyers in a magical law firm. Their office was somewhere in Diagon Alley, safely nestled between Gringotts and a bakery. Victoire wasn’t impressed with how her life turned out. She wanted more, but couldn’t find herself doing anything about it.

           It was mediocrity at its finest. A form of ritualism wherein she wakes up every morning, ties her hair up and ensures that she looks presentable enough, she goes to work and answers calls and finishes up schedules for her boss. It was a never-ending cycle of Victoire succumbing to her definition of the “norms”.

          A boy never came her way. There were a few guys who tried to get to know her, but she assumed they just left because she wasn’t really interesting enough. They probably would have preferred Victoire in her golden years (the Ravenclaw school girl who could do almost everything) than the Victoire who was nothing more than a boring girl who goes to work and goes home, nothing more.

           “You’re still young. There’s so much more time to decide on what you want to do in life.” Her grandmother told her during that one night where she went home to the Burrow, drunk off her arse and moping about a quarter-life crisis that she doesn’t know how to fix.

           There’s a newfound rage in her chest that she wanted to direct at her seventeen-year-old self because how dare she think that she had all the answers? How dare she think that she could grab life by the neck and take on it like a pro? She knew absolutely nothing! A bitter laugh formed at the base of her throat as she scrolled her Facebook feed for what seemed to be the hundredth time today.

           Hell the mediocrity is starting to annoy her even more as she tossed her phone on her desk with a matching scowl on her face. This form of ritualism got so bad that she didn’t even know what to search for in the world wide web anymore.

           Her life was going downhill and she has absolutely no idea where to look for answers.

           A vivid memory of her best friend getting married in the coast of Spain made her throw up the day’s lunch internally. They’re getting married and here she was, sitting in a secretary’s desk making someone else’s schedule instead of her _own,_ how pathetic could she be?

           For all she knew, she could be the one who’s fighting for people’s rights instead of her stuck-up boss. She could be the one who gets to boss her own secretary around, but then that thought nauseated her as well. She has absolutely no idea what she wanted to do and she ran out of every single idea that could possibly fix this quarter life crisis.

           She’d be lying if she said she didn’t think that a road trip could solve all of this. In fact, she was so close to getting inside her goddamn car right now and driving off to god knows where. But then she couldn’t exactly do that either because believe it or not this job has a really great pay and all her bills are paid off without a single sweat.

           The cost of it, however, was the fact that she wasn’t really enjoying this. She wanted so much more from life and doesn’t even know when to start.

           A tapping sound was heard from the window and her eyes met the wild gaze of Teddy Lupin. Normally, she wouldn’t let him in the office if she knew that he didn’t really have anything else to do other than talk her ears off, but it was boring, and she was desperate. Victoire hauled her arse out of her swivel chair and swiftly opened the door to the main entrance.

           Teddy was wild as always. He was a free spirit, always obeying what his heart wanted and he would go out of his way to make sure that he got to where he wanted. Traits that Victoire desperately wanted to have. He was a reflection of who she was before she turned into this mediocre secretary who scrolls through her Facebook feed way too much.

           One would think that her Facebook feed was empty, but no, in fact, the goddamn social networking site had a lot of her friends bragging about their newfound promotion, or their brand new house, or car, or getting married, or having children.

           It made her think about what she was possibly missing out on. Children? Getting married? A brand new house? One that’s not her overly pink apartment in the heart of London? It all seemed too surreal and practically fake as she went through each idea in her head.

           “You look bored, I decided I’d stop by.” He winked as he placed his coat on the coat rack by the door. Her boss knew Teddy, and her boss wasn’t even here so why was she even worrying?

           “Save me.” She jokingly whispered as she took a seat on her swivel chair while Teddy just so casually took a seat on her table filled with boring paperwork.

           “Victoire, Sweetheart, you need to live.” He laughed, and a loud laugh echoed from Victoire because oh god how she agreed to him so much.

           “How do I even pluck myself out of this boring shithole?” The blonde sighed as her forehead collided gently with the mahogany table.

           If Teddy was going through the same thing as she was, then damn he was doing so well at covering up. But then again, Victoire doubted it. Teddy always had everything figured out, he knew what to do and was always quick to come up with a contingency plan. She has no idea when she will ever have the guts to do something like that. Her seventeen-year-old self would have thought better, but that’s the thing, she’s already twenty four and was still stuck in an impasse. It sucked.

           “When was the last time you actually went out for fun?” Teddy raised his eyebrow, bright brown eyes staring deep into her blue oculars.

           Victoire’s head tilted, and that was enough to answer Teddy’s question.

           “That’s it, you’re going out with me tonight.” He declared.

           “You mean, on a date?” She inquired, and immediately regretted it as soon as the words left her lips. Teddy had always been her best friend, and yes she may still have a crush on him after all the years that went pass, but she couldn’t really blame herself right? Teddy was a fine man who has all of his priorities in check and has his entire life mapped out. It didn’t stray from her thoughts that he knew her inside and out as well.

           Great. She was stuck on an impasse and she couldn’t get over this silly school girl crush she has on Teddy.

           “Yes it’s a date. Look pretty, not that you don’t always do.” He chuckled and she glared at him as her cheeks reddened. A completely childish reaction to an offer she found that she had been waiting for all her life.

 


	2. second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her eyes were fixed on his turquoise hair as he pressed the buttons leading to a specific song to play on the karaoke. Though it was quite cheesy, it made Victoire feel alive in the most poetic sense. Who knew that a song on a karaoke and Teddy Lupin would be enough to instill thoughts of changing her boring routines?

**THE REST OF HER DAY HAD BEEN BORING.** Well, as boring as her other days had been. Teddy left a few hours ago with the huge grin plastered all over his face after she shoved him out the door since he’d provided enough distraction for her. Working a desk job was boring, but there were still paperworks to file. 

           Victoire clocked out at around seven and apparated back to her London apartment. She kicked off her heels and collapsed on her bed with a loud groan. She was starting to feel the boringness and mediocrity of her life more and more, and she wanted nothing more than to just do anything and everything she can in order to stop herself from falling way too deep into the abyss of her quarter-life crisis.

           Teddy was due to pick her up at eight-thirty and she had an hour and a half to spare. Normally, Victoire would stress  about what she would wear and the shades of makeup on her face, but this was Teddy, and Victoire felt nothing but comfort around him. 

           So instead of torturing herself with the whole “beauty is pain” agenda, Victoire picked out a pale pink, pleated dress that fanned out a bit by her waist. The necklace given to her by her mother when she was younger was placed around her neck and her hair was brushed down. 

           She stood a bit longer in front of her bedroom door as she decided between a pair of flats and heels, but then again, she knew that Teddy always throws in an impromptu adventure whenever they hang out together. She found herself sliding her feet into a pair of flats and she sat on the bed, thinking about what could possibly be the contents of tonight’s date with Teddy. 

           Admittedly, she was excited she could feel her heart pounding inside her chest as she gazed at the digital clock on her nightstand. She had been best friends with Teddy ever since she was born, the moment her tiny baby hands managed to get ahold of Teddy’s pointer finger, everyone knew that they’re going to be stuck with each other forever. 

           The betting pool running in the family about the eventual happening of her and Teddy wasn’t a secret from her too. Or well, it was supposed to be until she accidentally walked in her father and her Uncle George talking about when she’s going to start dating Teddy. Her father wasn’t amused, but Uncle George has a sly grin all over his face. 

           It had been twelve years since that conversation and Victoire wasn’t sure if the betting pool was still running to this day now that they’re all grown up, but she wouldn’t be opposed to Uncle George winning if she had a say in it. 

           There was a soft knock on the door and Victoire took another look at the mirror before opening the door. She greeted Teddy with a smile on her face as she asked him if he wanted to come in. Teddy shrugged before stepping into her flat. 

           “Merlin, Vic, you really need a change of scenery. How long has it been since you first moved here?” He asked.

           “Seven years. It’s not that bad! It looked like mine and Dom’s bedroom from Shell Cottage!” She responded, defending the honour of her seven-year-old flat. 

           “Exactly. It’s like you never moved away.” He laughed, “But I’m kidding, it’s not all that bad. It’s cute. Are you ready?” 

           Victoire was quick to respond by taking her purse from the counter and holding his hand as she dragged him out the door. “I’ve never been more ready.” 

           The smile on Teddy’s face was enough to make her feel weightless while they walked along the streets of Muggle London. 

           Her eyes scanned the streets adorned by different kinds of city lights. There was the huge billboard and the glowing signs from the restaurants and shops. The city was alive. It was buzzing with life and she could feel her heart beating in sync with London. There are a lot of people in the city and she was sure that each one of them held a story that’s possibly more interesting than hers. 

            She was walking hand-in-hand with Teddy, breathing in the scenery of London and feeling alive. It had been months since she last went out to Muggle London even if she actually lived in it. For some reason, she just couldn’t find herself to go out. Maybe it’s her system finally accepting the average-ness of her life, and that it was willing to just stay like that. But somehow, Victoire found today to be a huge jumpstart to her just going out there.

            Teddy took her to this really cute bar a few blocks away from Hyde Park. Victoire didn’t know what to expect from the bar but it was more of a comfy place than anything. They were sat in a booth watching two guys battle it out on the karaoke and Teddy ordered nachos and salsa along with beer. 

           “I’m not going to get you drunk tonight, believe it or not.” He stated, drowning his nacho in a ton of salsa.

           The blonde hummed in response as she stared in awe at the couple singing in the karaoke, “I’m sure you’re not.”

           “I’m going to take you to my favourite place later on, is that okay with you?”

           “I thought your favourite place was with me?” She joked and Teddy responded with a laugh. Victoire swore she would do anything and everything just to be able to make him laugh like that for the rest of their lives. 

           “That’s already a given, Vic. This is another favourite place. It comes second to being by your side.” Teddy shrugged, and it made her knees week and she was so goddamn thankful that the both of them were sitting down and that he wouldn’t have to become the witness to the eventual breaking of Victoire’s knees.  

           They had a turn at the karaoke before leaving and Victoire could feel the eyes of everyone around her, and for a moment, it felt like she was seventeen again. Roaming the halls of Hogwarts with so much light radiating off her. She was fearless back then, always willing to try new things and explore new possibilities. The world was endless to her when she was a teenager. She didn’t really expect that she would become stuck in an impasse at twenty four. 

           Her singing voice wasn’t great per se, but she could hit notes fairly. Her voice didn’t sound like nails on a chalkboard when she sang, but it’s not exactly the candidate-for-choir voice. She was fairly decent and so she had a huge deal of self-confidence when she stepped up the platform along with Teddy.

           “What song?” He asked, his lips quirked up into a grin.

           “Give me something by The Killers.” She answered, her face showing a determined expression as if the standing of her life was going to depend on this song number.

           Her eyes were fixed on his turquoise hair as he pressed the buttons leading to a specific song to play on the karaoke. Though it was quite cheesy, it made Victoire feel alive in the most poetic sense. Who knew that a song on a karaoke and Teddy Lupin would be enough to instill thoughts of changing her boring routines? 

           The other microphone was safely secured in his right hand and the music started to play. He did a completely cheesy dance move that somehow looked like he was just waving his limbs in every single place he could find, it looked like a beautiful mess in her eyes; and she found herself smiling widely at the scene unfolding in front of her. 

            She wasn’t the best singer in the world. In fact, she barely even sang at all. Although Victoire held a certain appreciation for bands like The Killers, she never really bothered to sing their songs out loud. Maybe only during the days where she felt like the silence was going to take her. It was the side effect of the boring, ritualism form of deviance that she led. It was bad enough sometimes that Victoire felt the need to go back to Shell Cottage and just cry to her maman because  _ where the hell did it all go wrong?  _ But the thought of being able to solve her quarter life crisis without feeling shame was enough to keep her going. 

           In all the words Victoire knew, the only word she could use to describe Teddy in the moment was “charming”. He was enticing and she was enthralled by every single movement he makes. She was slowly getting dragged into Teddy’s turquoise coloured world and she was slowly fleeing from the grey world formed upon the monotony she somehow got brought upon herself. His smile was electric, sending sparks along her veins as he smiled through every line of the song she sang. His face was a masterpiece, even though he had the ability to change his face at will, Victoire could still memorize every single line and crease even through different masks. He was a work of art. A work of art that made her feel alive. 

           Every line from the song was kind of like a promise to her. A promise to ensure that every single day she will live from that day on would contain much more than the boring ritual she had. A promise that she would  _ live  _ instead of simply just watching life. 

           “You did great, Sweetheart.” Teddy smiled as they both stepped off the platform, the cheers and applause coming from the crowd faded into the background as Victoire focused on his shining face and his bright smile and crooked teeth.

_ He was amazing.  _ She thought, lost in the light of his eyes. 

           “Thank you for bringing me out today.” She mused.

           “Don’t thank me yet, Vic. I’ve yet to show you the greatest view of London. I hate how we’ve been best friends our entire lives and I still haven’t shown you the best thing about this city. That might have been a bit of a shortcoming on my part.” His laugh was music to her ears and she found herself getting lost in him more and more as the time passed by. 

           Their fingers were intertwined as Teddy led her out of the bar, pulling her gently. He didn’t call a cab, just held her hand and continued walking into the night. The streets were still busy, the lights seem endless, and Victoire was living for it. Everything seemed to be an endless stream of wonder for her and she was one hundred percent sure that this is all that she wanted to do, to explore and to see brand new horizons through her eyes.

           “I love it here.” 

           “You’ve been living in London ever since you graduated. How come you’re only experiencing it now?” His eyebrow was raised and the confusion was evident upon his expression, or maybe that was just how well she could read him. 

           “I did experience it before. I guess the wonder of it all just faded out and got replaced by the boring monotone life I started to have.” She shrugged. 

           “Well you’re stuck in a rut, I could say that much. But really, Vic, you just have to learn what you’re so passionate about and what you really wanted to do and then it will all go well from there.” Teddy mused, his hold on her hand tightening as they walked inside a dimly lit building. 

           Victoire wasn’t stupid, she knew this was where Teddy worked. Upstairs on the topmost floor was where Teddy worked as a correspondent for a wizarding magazine. He was a travel photographer, all wild and adventurous. He did complete his years of auror training but she remembered him telling her that chasing dark wizards didn’t seem to be his passion anymore, and that was when he found himself drawn to taking pictures of everything that made him feel something. 

           Art was oozing off of him. He was born to create, and he was one hell of a masterpiece too; not just physically, by the way. He was everything Victoire wanted and needed and she already knew that at the back of her head, she’s just not brave enough to admit it out loud; but it’s there, the notion of love was present whenever he’s around. 

           The elevator was spacious seeing as there were only two passengers, the dim lights could have been a bit creepy but it made Teddy’s turquoise hair stand out, and Victoire loved it. Pale blue oculars met brown ones and she found herself inching closer to him, her body facing him entirely. Her breath hitched when he moved in the same position too, his hand slowly touching her arm in an intimate manner. 

           Two hearts beating in the same rhythm echoed throughout the small space that was slowly climbing up to the topmost floor, his hand was still on her arm, and her eyes were still fixed on his. Victoire wasn’t really sure if her eyesight was getting really bad or if he was really leaning in towards her with the same kind of intensity in his stare as hers. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes untilㅡ  _ ding!  _

           What was once an intense staring session and an almost-kiss turned into soft footsteps as they exited the elevator and into the rooftop. Much to Victoire’s surprise, Teddy still held her hand as he pulled her towards the edge where a railing was installed. 

           “Welcome to the best view of London.” He announced, the lopsided grin coming back to his face as he held out his harm to show her the view of the city. 

           Damn. He was right. The city looked magnificent with all of the dancing and steady lights. The different people who looked very much like ants hurrying off to go home or to be somewhere else. There were cars moving in every single direction and she knew that somehow all of this was fueled by something far more than just ritualism and mediocrity. The city was alive, just as the people made it. She could feel London breathing through her veins, the magnificence of it covered her imaginary self in bright neon lights. 

           “I love it.” Victoire spoke after a long moment of silence as she took in the view.

           She didn’t notice before, but she was already in between Teddy’s arms. His hands were holding onto the railings and there was Victoire standing perfectly still in between his strong arms. She could feel his breath on the side of her face and she was so glad that he wasn’t facing her at this moment. Blood was rushing through her cheeks and she felt absolutely weightless. 

           “I know you would.” Then he leaned his head against hers. 

           “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything look more alive.” 

           “I have.” His reply caused the blonde to narrow her eyebrows at him in confusion. 

           “There’s nothing more alive and breathing than London.” Somehow, she found herself facing him. His face was dangerously close and she could feel his gaze burning into her soul. 

           “I have, Victoire, and it’s you. You’ve always been the epitome of life, even if you may not think of yourself that way, you always have been. You’re soft, yet wild altogether. Yes you’re stuck in a rut, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not alive. Your flame’s simply gathering enough strength to burst into a huge raging fire that can never be put off. I know you, Victoire. Sometimes more than you do yourself, and that is how I know that you will never be in that same position. You may have been stuck in the same desk job for years but that doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be more opportunities waiting for you.” His stare was intense and she could feel every single word coming from his mouth sinking into her skin. 

           She wanted to tell him that he was wrong. That she would forever be stuck like this, but she couldn’t say no. Not when he was pouring all the contents of his heart in front of her. She didn’t have it in her to say no to him. In fact, she even found herself hoping that whatever he said to her was true. 

           “How do you know that?” She asked, mainly because she wanted to see proof that he really believed in her. 

           “I just do. And I believe that you can get out of whatever quarter life crisis you got stuck in. You’re Victoire Weasley for goodness sake! A fire that cannot be extinguished, a flame that was destined to burn until the end of the universe itself. A quarter life crisis got nothing on you.” Teddy mused, slowly bringing his face towards hers. 

           Everything felt right, and she felt the life rushing back into her lungs. Like somehow Teddy and London managed to revive every single bit of herself back into the world. 

           “I want to explore this city, you know. I want to see life as it is and I want to experience it. Kind of like catching up on what I’ve missed out on, you know?” She smiled, looking back into the city with enthusiasm lighting up her eyes. 

           “You could always go with me. Write a piece about the photos I’m taking.” Teddy shrugged, his lips meeting the side of her head. 

           “I think I’d like to weigh down my options first, but I’d keep that in mind.” 

           “Vic?” He asked, and Victoire turned her head to him in response, “I love you.” 

           Her heart was racing and she felt as if it was going to beat out of her chest when he said those words. Yes, Teddy told her that he loved her before but she was sure that he only meant for it to be the kind of love reserved for best friends. But now, Victoire felt like that wasn’t the case anymore. His eyes said it all, this was real and this was different from what she had assumed and heard throughout the years. 

           “I love you too.” 

           “I’ve always loved you since the day I first laid eyes on you, you know.” He chuckled.

           Then their lips touched and that was one of the first steps Victoire made towards experiencing life once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of a quarter life crisis came to me in the most unexpected way ever, I was drifting off to sleep when I realized that what if somehow, I managed to hit a point where I was rock bottom. At sixteen I thought I was actually facing a quarter life crisis but I really wasn't. But yeah, and I also drew inspiration from The Killers' Shot at The Night song and music video. The ending wasn't quite the way I expected it to be, but then I again I write every single fanfic without knowledge of how I would end it LOL. I hope you guys like it! x


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